On Saturday, April 20, Glazed Doughnut Shop closed its Northampton location. The shop had been a downtown staple for Smith students and Northampton residents for two and a half years.
The shop’s owners, Nick and Keren Rhodes, announced on April 15 that they would be closing the Northampton location as a means to downsize and spend more time with their children.
Their Amherst location, which has been open since 2014, will continue to operate. In a post on the shop’s Facebook page, they wrote, “We have found that running two locations creates too much of work/home life imbalance.” Glazed closed its doors shortly after two other Northampton shops closed.
In early March, Sam’s Pizzeria and Cafe ceased operation. The restaurant had been open since 2007 and had amassed a number of loyal customers during that time. Its owner, Sam Harbey, did not attribute the restaurant’s closure to any specific reason. Rather, he announced that he wanted to take a break and that he was considering opening a new Northampton business with a partner in the future.
The second business to close was Faces, a clothing store that had been located on Main Street since 1986. Unlike Glazed or Sam’s, Faces was met with substantial financial difficulties while it was open. In 2015, store owner Peter Vogel announced that Faces would close unless it could find a buyer. The store was saved in 2016 when it was bought by a group of investors, but this victory was short lived as foot traffic continued to decline. On March 31, the store closed permanently.
Although a variety of factors led to each store’s closing, Northampton residents are concerned for their city. The Hampshire Gazette recently published an opinion piece by Joseph Stankiewicz in which he expresses his fear for the city’s economic state. Some, like Stankiewicz, attribute the closing of such stores to the growing prevalence of online shopping, and they feel that Northampton’s downtown shops have been unable to adapt. Others feel that places like Glazed and Sam’s closed for reasons that did not reflect on the economic state of Northampton. The owners of both shops cited personal reasons for their closures rather than financial reasons. The Rhodes’ explained that while their Northampton Glazed location was relatively successful, the overall profit did not justify the time that they spent away from their family. Harbey also seems confident that Northampton can sustain new businesses in the future.
For the time being, it seems that Northampton’s downtown area is just as active as it has ever been. While several beloved Main Street businesses have closed, new ones have opened as well. Within the past year, businesses, such as Tim’s Used Books and Yokohama Ramen, have opened on Main Street and have been met with significant anticipation each time.
No matter what the recent closures signify, Smith students and Northampton residents retain fond memories of the businesses that continue to come and go. Chitose Maruko ’22 reflected on her many visits to Glazed; “I would have paid three dollars for one last doughnut if I had known they were closing,” she said
